Doctor Zoo
by Thou Craggy Knob
Summary: When Nick and Judy come across a strange mammal they struggle to believe his wild story. Can he really be who he says he is? Join the crew of the TARDIS on the ultimate adventure through time and space, as two of the ZPD's finest come to terms with their feelings for one another...
1. Part One

"And _why_ exactly are we here again?" Nick sighed rhetorically to himself, as the ZPD patrol car blazed through Sahara Square.

"Regular patrol duty; the Chief assigned us to this area" retorted Judy. After all, it was a far cry from a Meter Maid, but then again wasn't quite on the same level as tackling a massive governmental conspiracy. _Makes a change for once_ , she thought.

"Well it's nice to see Buffalo-Butt values his two finest officers" the fox muttered sarcastically, sipping gently at his piping hot Snarlbucks coffee. He despised lengthy and equally dull patrols, which was why he usually seemed to end up on them, at least in his mind. _Life is cruel sometimes, Nicholas._

"Modest as always Wilde!" retorted his fellow officer, while she made a sharp turn around the next corner.

"Hey hey Carrots it's called self-esteem, you should try it sometime-"

"Careful Slick," she cut across him "I'm the one driving here."

"Yeah and doesn't my back know it!" he sniped at her. "As I've said, are all rabbits-"

 _That_ put the brakes on. Quite literally in fact, as Nick's coffee nearly went flying across the windshield. For the third day running. Judy fixed him a hard stare with her striking amethyst eyes.

"Alright rabbit, I get the point" Nick conceded. Couldn't risk his precious coffee, or his back, again like that.

"Great, then let's go!" Judy chirped in her jubilant sing-song voice; she slammed her foot down on the accelerator as the car roared into action, almost sending Nick's poor coffee flying the other way. _Still_ , the fox considered grudgingly, _pretty cute._

 _Not that he'd say that to her face, of course._

They continued to zig-zag through the streets, weaving through the increasingly congested mid-day traffic with skill. Judy was usually the one at the wheel on patrols, as the bunny always seemed to find that she got quite the adrenaline rush whenever the engine roared into life, something which she had never really expected. Besides, Nick couldn't stop her even if he tried.

That was about the most excitement to be had. The odd stop here, the occasional traffic caution there; not exactly thrilling. It was as if fate had conspired in a dastardly attempt to make their day as uneventful as possible, which probably wasn't too much of a stretch. Finally, the two officers retired to their vehicle, ready to make one last sweep before returning to HQ; not like Bogo could chew them out over nothing.

Then, right on cue:

"Dispatch to all units: repeat, Dispatch to all units!" cut through their radio; Benjamin Clawhauser, his bubbly personality shining through even via sound waves.

Nick allowed a groan to escape him before lazily flicking the receiver: "What's up Spots?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Officers Hopps and Wilde, reports of a disturbance coming in from Central Park, Sahara Square. Are you free to attend?"

"Yes, we-" Judy began,

" _Free to attend_ would be something of an understatement at this point Spots," Nick interrupted, earning himself a disparaging look from the bunny. "Sorry Carrots, it had to be said."

"Yep, we'll be there Clawhauser" Judy informed him brusquely, "Over and Out".

 _Well, it was something_.

The ride to Central Park passed quickly (mainly due to Judy's rather over-eager driving), and was just as well with Nick's current temperament. He was usually a patient guy - one had to be hustling on the streets - but he had been worn pretty thin by such an uninspiring week. "This is gonna be short and sweet Carrots, I'm callin' it".

"Whatever you say, furious Mr. Fox" Judy admonished sardonically; her naturally sunny disposition took a lot to eradicate. They stopped at the front entrance to the Park, with Nick feeding the Parking Meter.

"Wouldn't want to have to give _ourselves_ a ticket, eh?" He raised an eyebrow playfully.

"Har-har" Judy tutted back at him, not wanting to be reminded. _At least I was lucky_ _enough to meet him that day_ , she reminisced inwardly.

 _Not that she'd say that to his face, of course_.

Regaining her train of thought, the bunny hurriedly followed Nick through the entrance gates, on the prowl for this "disturbance", half expecting some violent incident or unfortunate confrontation. _Maybe Nick's cynicism is rubbing off on me_. Whatever it was, however large or small, the pair would always be attentive. They may have shown it in different ways, but no one in the ZPD possessed anything less than 100% devotion to their duty, which gave them all something to rely on.

Eventually Judy picked up on something, her hyper-sensitive ears turning in the direction of the disturbance. It sounded like a strange kind of beeping noise, faint but within walking distance. "Nick, it's this way!", she blurted out suddenly, setting off in the direction of the sound.

"Right behind you Carrots!" he called out after her. Regardless of anything else, the fox was always great full for his rabbit partner's sharpened hearing, however difficult it made scandalous gossiping. He strode along the path after her, a twinge of angst in his chest, but hoping this wouldn't be too serious.

To both their surprise, the beeping came from the direction of a single mammal, who was pacing around various benches and muttering to himself, attracting a number of bemused gazes from both parents and their kits alike. He was a lion, seemingly middle aged, tall with a glossy mane and pointed teeth. However, his clothes appeared to be the main source of consternation: a turquoise cravat, question marked lapels and burgundy waistcoat, with a green watch chain. A pair of yellow and black striped trousers, with darker green and orange pads around his ankles. But most significantly, the coat this lion was wearing was truly a sight to behold: a hideous patchwork of colours and patterns, with no coordination or sense of taste. A jet black badge painted to resemble a jaguar was pinned to his lapel.

Not that the mammal seemed to notice any of this; he seemed totally unaware of the strange looks he was receiving, instead focussing on the unusual beeping device he held in his paws. It was dark and rectangular, adorned with a row of switches, and a large circular panel set into the top section. He stared down at it repeatedly: "No, no no! Need to find the source of the signal!"

"Should we just arrest him for crimes against fashion?" Nick asked his partner mockingly, earning himself a punch on the shoulder which, as usual, hurt a lot more than he would have liked.

"Maybe... He just likes fancy dress?" Judy answered, stretching for an explanation. He was certainly one of the weirder mammals she'd come across, which was saying a lot.

"More likely he's escaped from Psychiatric" Nick sighed. "Poor guy. Well, I suppose we'll have to just go ask him" he continued, as the lion began to make for the rear exit to the Park.

"Quick, let's go!" Judy sprinted athletically after the mammal, as Nick tried in vain to keep up with his partner; she _was_ top of her class at the Academy after all, as she enjoyed reminding her partner whenever she got the chance. Nevertheless, it took little time to catch up to the oblivious lion.

"Excuse me sir, ZPD Officers Hopps and Wilde, can we just speak to you quickly please?" enquired Nick, adopting the calm and polite tone he always took with the public. _He had_ _to, with all those horrid anti-pred remarks._

Piercing blue eyes met sceptical emerald ones: "Can I help you?" the lion replied in a haughty, imperious voice. His accent was clipped and refined, and his eyes seemed to show an age and an intelligence vastly beyond his age. _And his clothes_.

"Sir, we have received complaints regarding your, er, disruptive behaviour," chipped in Judy, "so we were just wondering if we could ask you some questions?" She whipped out her notebook and carrot pen. "Name?"

The lion huffed in frustration. "I am known as the Doctor." he answered, a small hint of pride in his voice, his left paw clutching at his lapel.

Nick sighed. _Why?_ "Yes sir, we're all very impressed by your title, but we need an actual name". He wasn't in the best mood to play games, but was trying to be as agreeable as possible.

"Just the Doctor!" the lion replied briskly, seeing straight through Nick's pleasant mask.

"Ok, I'll think we'll just leave that one there." Judy cut in. "How old are you sir?" The Doctor stared at her with a weary look:

"My dear young lady even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me." He stated with, seemingly, sadness. "Even if I do say so myself!"

"He's even more modest than you Slick!" Judy called at Nick, happy to get one over on him.

"Touché Carrots." Nick answered bluntly; for once, he couldn't even muster a witty comeback. Instead, he turned to this mysterious "Doctor". "Sir," he began, "if you do not wish to cooperate then perhaps you'd like to accompany us back to our vehicle." The fox instinctively checked the pawcuffs attached to his belt. He didn't want things turning nasty.

"But there's _no time_ for any of that!" The Doctor protested dramatically, "The _fates_ of _planets_ hang in the balance!" Blank stares from both of the officers. "Oh very well if you insist!" _May as_ _well get this out of the way quickly_. He turned to follow Nick and Judy, tutting childishly as he went; however, he soon slowed to a halt when his device began giving off a bizarre high pitched whirring sound. The Doctor fished it out of his pocket and stared at it in triumph.

"That's it! The source of the signals!" He exclaimed; needless to say, neither Nick nor Judy had any idea what he was talking about. He turned to them. "Look, I know I agreed to come with you, but this really is incredibly urgent: I have to follow up on this signal, so please let me go!"

Nick's tail bristled and his ears flattened against his head. He barely stopped himself from growling. He couldn't understand it, but the awkwardness of this so-called Doctor was beginning to grate on him. "Look pal, I don't know who puked on your coat, but I think-"

"Puked? Puked?! PUKED?!" roared the Doctor, becoming progressively louder each time. "I'll have you know young mammal that my sartorial taste is the very height of fashion!" he snapped indignantly.

"Looks like someone swallowed their dictionary for breakfast" Nick grumbled, not being able to resist getting one last jibe in on this guy.

"Will you both stop it!" Yelled Judy, drawing looks of surprise from the other two mammals. "You're both acting like spoilt little kits!" she scolded them, as both Nick and the Doctor stared down at their feet in embarrassment. She drew a deep breath. "Now Doctor, if this really is so important, perhaps we can give you a lift?"

"My dear Officer Hopps, I'm afraid that you don't understand-" the Doctor paused, seemingly uncertain.

"And?" Nick chimed in. He really was sick and tired of this now, and was amazed Judy had kept a level head. Hardly a stereotypical emotional bunny. _Maybe that was one of the things he liked about her._

"Well," the Doctor hesitated, "I am not from your world." He straightened up. "I am not of this time. I am a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey."

Nick barked out a short laugh; this was the last straw. " _Seriously_? You really expect us to believe that?"

"Believe what you like Officer Wilde, but it is the truth."

"But you look like us!" Judy exclaimed in disbelief. _Well, apart from the clothes anyway_. "You talk like us and you sound like us! How can you be an alien?"

"My dear Officer Hopps," the Doctor began, "in my experience it is never wise to rush to conclusions without having all of the available evidence." Both Nick and Judy felt a pang of guilt. They knew exactly what that felt like, from both sides of the divide. "Perhaps," the Doctor added gently, sensing their guilt "perhaps it would be easier if I simply showed you my...craft? You are both police officers, so I assume you'd be able to cope with it. Besides, it may help to dispel any lingering doubts you may have".

"Alright Doctor, we'll come with you if it makes you happy," assured Judy, stealing a glance at her more uncertain partner, "perhaps we can use our car?"

"Oh yes, of course!" replied the Doctor, as he set off through the Park. "Front entrance, I presume?" he added as he strode off along the path, eliciting yet more strange glances from the the other mammals; the two officers hurried after him.

"I gotta say Carrots, I think I went weak at the knees when you yelled back then," Nick muttered to his partner, emerald eyes sparkling, "perhaps you should try it more often?" he added in a whisper. Judy simply grinned and bumped her hip against him, drawing a surprised grunt of appreciation from the fox. "Naughty bunny."

"Dumb fox!" she chirped happily, as they swung open the doors of their patrol car.

"This'll sure be interesting!"

...

The journey took at least twenty five minutes; clearly, this Doctor was more athletic than he looked. He would give the occasional direction, the ZPD-issued vehicle weaving through lanes of traffic as the sun began to set; the fading light refracted in beautiful colours through the windows of the towering skyscrapers of Zootopia. Soon enough, the Doctor indicated an alley leading to one of the more dilapidated areas of the city. Shops closed, windows boarded up and slim, malnourished mammals skulking around on the streets; it disgusted Judy that such deprivation still existed in such a prosperous city, having come to Zootopia thinking that it was so perfect and infallible. Sadly, by contrast Nick was more than used to the sight, and had been for years.

Pulling up alongside an old disused garage, the Doctor stepped out of the car and heaved on the doors, which swung open with a heavy groan. Judy cringed. "It's _horrible_ here..." Nick nodded silently, and inhaled sharply.

"Place musta been much nicer hundred years ago when they built it."

"It was, believe me" added the Doctor, who turned swiftly on his heels to address the two.

"Oh, you a historian as well as a doctor?" Nick snarked at him, somewhat agitated; being here was bringing back some unhappy memories.

The Doctor was nonplussed: "Historian? My dear fellow, I was here when it was being built!" he boomed as he entered the garage. Judy stared open mouthed. Nick rolled his eyes.

"I feel for the poor guy Carrots. Must be totally nuts".

"I heard that!"

...

The garage was almost pitch black; the light thrown in from the street cast eerie shadows over the walls. The putrid aroma of garbage and motor oil hung heavy in the air, and a steady stream of water droplets cascaded from the ceiling onto the hard concrete floor. The Doctor pulled a torch from his capacious pockets and shone it around the room, quickly picking out a large box-shaped object in the corner of the building. The three of them quickly crossed to it, where upon closer inspection the two officers could pick out the details. It appeared slightly battered, with a coat of faded blue paint. Window panels were set into the double doors, with a sign proclaiming "POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX" adorning the object. Needless to say, Nick could barely contain his mirth. "Is that it? Where are all the flashing lights and laser beams?" he asked condescendingly.

"And what do you mean by that?" suggested the Doctor, slightly irritated.

"What he means Doctor," Judy softly replied "is that it's just a Police Box. You know, the kind the ZPD used to call for backup." Her nose twitched and her foot began to thump as her policing instincts kicked in: "Say, if you've been stealing ZPD property then-"

"Far from it officer!" the Doctor hurriedly interjected, as he presented what looked like a key threaded on a chain and slid it into the keyhole. He gently pushed the door open. "Now Officers, if you'd both be so kind.." He gestured theatrically at the door.

"After you Carrots..." Nick indicated, not exactly sure about what was happening, and not liking it either.

"Oh come on you scaredy fox, _you're_ the one who's been bad-mouthing the whole thing" Judy teased playfully, throwing him a sly wink.

"Yes, Officer Wilde, do have the _courage_ of your _convictions."_ taunted the Doctor; his smug arrogance infuriated Nick.

"Alright fine, you both win!" The fox conceded as he stormed into the box in a temper. "But what you expect me to find I'll never-"

There was a sudden shriek of surprise. Within seconds Nick practically launched himself out of the box, his eyes wide in shock and disbelief. "What the? I, I, I...What the hell?" He paced all the way around the box, tracing the sides with his claws, muttering under his breath: "Just a box...it's just a box...". All the while the Doctor wore and incredibly smug grin on his face. Nick turned to his partner, "C-Carrots, J-Judy, I... It's _unbelievable_!"

Judy shook her head in exasperation. "Oh Nick, you silly fox. What _are_ you talking about?" she questioned as she stepped towards the box. "What's in that box that could _possibly_ be so-"

"Oh".


	2. Part Two

Judy shook her head in exasperation. "Oh Nick, you silly fox. What _are_ you talking about?" she questioned as she stepped towards the box. "What's in that box that could _possibly_ be so-"

"Oh".

She was _not_ expecting that.

An airy, spacious room. Gleaming white surfaces, with a pattern of circular indents fixed to the walls; these appeared to be lit from behind, giving an eerie quality. On the far side of the room a large square panel was present at eye-level, with a single door to the right. In the very centre stood an hexagonal console, a monitor attached to each of the six individual panels, and covered in buttons and switches of all sizes; none of them were even labelled. Rising up from the middle of the console was a squat glass-encased column, housing an unusual crystalline lattice structure, which reflected the doe's gobsmacked expression; she could finally see where her partner was coming from. "I - it's _bigger_ on the inside!" she stuttered breathlessly. It was so much to absorb.

"Yes yes, they all say that!" Sighed the Doctor; he sauntered into the room, followed by a still slack-jawed Nick. "Right, I suppose we should get the basics out the way." He began as the lion crossed to the console and flicked a switch; the pair of heavy interior double doors swung shut with an electronic burble. He placed his hands in his pockets and inhaled: "This is known as a TARDIS. That's T-A-R-D-I-S. Short for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It can take you to any planet in the known universe, and to any point in that planet's existence!" He scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly, "And not terribly reliable either."

"Huh, that figures." commented Nick, staring dumbstruck at the confusing mass of buttons on the TARDIS console. How the hell could he work anything that confusing? _Pull_ _yourself together, Wilde._

The Doctor frowned, his tail swishing irritably back and forth as if trying to swat away the remark. "I shall ignore _that_ comment for now." he grumbled; the Time Lord pulled out his handheld device and began furiously keying at the buttons on the console, which each responded to with their own unusual noise. The door on the far side of the room swung open, as a figure stepped through:

"Hey Doc, what's going on?" A tall, strikingly beautiful gazelle in her early twenties entered the room. A small wisp of dark hair fell between her chocolate brown eyes, giving her face an alluring, picturesque quality. She wore a pair of pink cargo shorts and belt, with a matching Lycra top which clung tightly to her upper body, accentuating her curves. "Who are these guys?"

"As I have told you many times before," the Doctor stated resignedly, "kindly refrain from addressing me as Doc!" He flicked his tail, looking up from the console, "Officers Hopps and Wilde, allow me to introduce my travelling companion, Miss Perpugiliam Brown." The gazelle smiled warmly at them both.

"Pleased to meet you, erm, Miss Brown," Judy greeted the fellow doe. "or would you prefer Perpugiliam?" she added with hesitation.

"Oh don't worry, my friends just call me Peri!" She reassured the struggling rabbit officer.

"Then I hope we all get along just fine..." drawled Nick, somewhat distracted by the leggy new arrival.

"Hey Nick!" He was brought back to his senses by another sharp rap on the shoulder from his police cohort: "Her eyes are up there you know!" she added forcefully, a note of jealousy perhaps creeping into her voice. Quickly, and somewhat red-faced, she turned to Peri "I must apologise for the conduct of my fellow officer, he is behaving totally unprofessionally!" _Always a stickler for the rules, Hopps_.

"No it's fine, really," Peri assured the flustered rabbit, "it must be difficult for him to take it all in".

"Hmm, you could say that..." the fox agreed, thus receiving a menacing glare from Judy. It really was too easy to get a reaction from that bunny.

"You know, I do hate to interrupt this _extremely_ interesting conversation, but there are slightly more pressing issues to attend to!" chided the Doctor, just as a shrill beep emanated from the console; a series of numbers flashed up on the monitor in front of the alien. "Found it!" He boasted in a triumphant tone.

"You got what you've been looking for?" asked Peri, joining the Doctor at the console.

"Yes, the TARDIS has triangulated the source of the signals and picked out the space time coordinates for us." His tail stood erect: "We'll have to be quick, while the trace is still strong-"

"Wait!" Peri interrupted hurriedly, "What about these two?" she demanded, indicating the two ZPD officers.

"Yes, before you go running off anywhere, I think we should all head down to HQ and take your full statements." said Judy, foot thumping in nervous agitation.

"But we can't possibly do any of that!" The Doctor countered, "The TARDIS could lose the signal at any moment!" He groaned with realisation. "Well, I suppose that means you'll both have to come with us." The lion informed them, totally serious and without any hint of joviality. "But I must warn you both, it's likely to be incredibly dangerous!" Before either of them had a chance to object, the Doctor flipped a bank of switches; the central column began emitting a series of flickering red and white light, as it rose and fell rhythmically. "Off we go!" He proclaimed, an almost manic glint in his eye.

The two officers swallowed, hard.

* * *

A strange wheezing, groaning sound filled the garage as the blue Police Box known only as the TARDIS faded into nothing; within seconds, quiet and empty nothingness filled its hollow confines once again.

* * *

"So Peri, um, would you be an alien as well?" Asked Judy bashfully, a little of her Bunnyburrow country accent slipping in.

"Me?" Peri giggled slightly in reply, "Nah, Zootopia born an' raised. Studying Botany now, or at least whenever I get time to." The gazelle shrugged her shoulders. "Guess being a high school valedictorian can only get you so far!" she stated. Clearly, modesty was not one of her strong suits in life.

Not that this bothered the bunny in the slightest: "Hey, I was valedictorian at the ZPD Academy! Guess that makes two champions!" With that, the two females descended into laughter. Nick could only look on in bewilderment. _What was wrong with scraping second place?_ He was a good deal older than most of the others after all.

"So then Doctor," Nick began playfully, "what exactly do you two do in this box of yours?" He winked suggestively.

The Doctor tutted: "Argue, mainly."

* * *

The tiger edged his way along the tunnel, firearm clutched at his side; the cold steel cut through his tunic and bit deep into his fur. The mammal examined his map closely, despite the near pitch-black environment hampering his vision. Desperately lost for hours now, he made yet another turn, struggling to find his way back. He'd been away for far too long already; the consequences of being caught were too horrifying to even think about. Where were the others? How had he gotten so hopelessly lost so quickly? He cursed mildly under his breath in frustration, his words frosting in the cool air.

A narrow shaft of light was thrown across the wall; a looming, ominous shadow silhouetted against it. The tiger looked on in horror, knowing exactly what was to come, and turned to run. The petrified mammal pelted back down a succession of tunnels, darkness greedily swallowing everything around him; no planned route or studying the map this time. Just instinct, driven by pure and blind terror.

His foot snagged on a rock in his haste; the tiger fell to the floor, the mammal's face connecting hard with the filthy and mud-strewn ground. As he attempted to haul himself to his feet, scrabbling for his gun, the tiger caught a horrifying glimpse of his pursuer; arm raised, ready to deal the fatal blow. The tiger let off a volley of shots; no effect whatsoever. He whimpered in terror:

"No, please! No! HEEEEELP!"

A sickening scream. Silence once more.

* * *

"Are your folks not worried about you traveling around like this?" The fox asked Peri tentatively, laying on his species' natural charm.

Peri sighed, her jolly tone suddenly fading, voice wavering a little: "Well, my Mom and Dad were killed in a traffic accident when I was a kit. Barely even knew them." She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye. "Then my stepdad, Howard, took me in. Until the Doctor showed up that is." The gazelle added, nodding at her friend; he promptly crossed over to join the conversation. "He probably wouldn't approve anyway, me a vulnerable young prey, travelling around with a predator!" The Doctor coughed roughly behind her upon hearing the remark. "Well, someone who looks like one anyway." The Doctor placed an arm around Peri's shoulder in consolation; the two officers looked on in silence, saddened to see that prejudice still dogged their society.

"We're sorry to hear about that Peri." Judy replied in a soft tone, "Really, we are." Peri nodded, and in turn pulled the bunny into a tight hug.

Nick's mask slipped a little: inside, he almost broke down.

A chime of approval from the TARDIS interrupted the somber proceedings. "It seems we've arrived." Announced the Doctor matter-of-factly. He pressed a series of buttons, and the square panel set into the wall slid back, revealing a screen. Near pitch-blackness, with a poor level of light barely stretching a few feet. Pale grey mists swirled in various formations, like waves crashing against the sand.

The lion fixed his eyes on one of the console's monitors: "Readings all seem fine. Stable atmosphere, regular gravity, plenty of oxygen." He frowned. "Though I have a feeling the mammalian predilection for fur coats could prove rather apposite!"

"And in English that means?" Nick responded, mask falling back into place, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"It's cold." Peri cut in, regaining her composure and activating the door controls, " _Very_ cold!" She led the way out of the TARDIS.

"Headstrong young mammal." The Doctor commented, his steely blue eyes glistening a little: "I always worry she'll go rushing off straight into trouble." He brushed the thought to one side, not really wanting to think about it. "Still, I suppose I'll have to go after her." The lion sighed, readying his electronic device. "You two can wait in here if you like," he told them, his tone serious, "I couldn't bear it if anything should happen to you."

"Psht, c'mon Doctor!" Judy replied nonchalantly, "We can't exactly see much from in here can we? And besides, if this is the only chance I get to see another planet I'm not gonna miss it for the world!" The enthusiastic rabbit headed towards the open doors to follow Peri; the doe received a worried glance from her partner.

"Are you sure about this Carrots?" Nick mumbled, "I mean, we have no way of telling if any of this is even real!"

"I _beg_ your pardon?" The Doctor butted in his face fuming with indignation. "And what exactly does that mean!"

"Well," the tod began, desperately attempting to rationalise the situation, "this could just be some fancy magic trick!" Yes it was a little unlikely, but then so was the idea of a teleporting box. "And these two could just be a couple of needy fans, who let their imaginations run away with them!" he concluded. The Doctor could barely conceal his outrage; Judy just giggled.

"My dear Officer Wilde, you can't dismiss something simply because you do not understand it!" The lion lectured the mammal.

"Hey Nick," Judy soothed, a single grey paw clutching the russet tones of his arm. He knew he may have gone a little too far. "it's okay; if it is just a game then we'll be be back in the garage. But if it's true..." She led him gently out of the room.

 _Well, there goes that theory_ , Nick thought to himself.

A blast of cool air struck the two officers as they emerged into what looked like a tunnel, with a series of smaller passages branching off in all directions. A thin layer of mist clung to cracks and crevices along the walls.

"Great, another rotten gloomy tunnel!" Peri whined, her voice bouncing off the walls and echoing down the cavernous spaces. _Why did they always wind up in one of these?_

"Yeah, not to mention the stink in this place!" Nick added brusquely, the stale odour offending his acute nose.

"Not the most appealing location, I'll admit," the Doctor conceded "but then again appearances can be deceptive, as we have discussed!" He turned to address the two officers: "Now, the TARDIS has put us down here, therefore the source of these signals can't be far away. Peri and I will have a look around to see what we can find." He began to swing around, but snapped back suddenly, "You two stay here, and don't wander off!" He lectured, his voice puncturing the misty silence. "Come along Peri!" He boomed, as the gazelle shrugged her shoulders at Nick and Judy, seeming apologetic. She hurried off after her loudly dressed friend, quickly receding from view.

"Wait a minute!" The bunny called out after them, "What exactly are you two looking for?" _Nope_. _Gone_ _already_. "Ah, great!"

"Don't worry about it Carrots," soothed Nick, deciding it was his turn to do the comforting, "they should be alright, if they do this as much as they seem to."

"So," Judy stated, hand on hip "you admit you were wrong?"

The tod hung his head in shame, his ears flattening, "I guess so."

"It's ok you silly fox." She said, completely turning the situation around, "We all make mistakes now and again." The doe smiled, showing her buck teeth: "Even you!"

Nick chuckled in response. She always seemed to know just what to say to brighten up his day; even in a filthy dark tunnel such as this one. "Gee, I guess flattery will get you everywhere Hoppss." The fox joked. "Thanks Judy." He replied sincerely, "What would I do without you?"

The doe hummed with affection. "Dunno. Anyways, let's have a look round ourselves shall we?" she asked her partner, a conspiratorial glint in her eye; the thrill of actually being on another world, free from everyday life, seemed to let her adventurous side run loose. "I mean, not just another city, another _planet_!" She exclaimed, amethyst eyes wide with excitement. _Could there be_ _aliens here? With three heads and seven legs_? Her mind filled itself with wild images of extraterrestrial life.

"I'm not so sure Carrots." Nick cautioned; perhaps his life hustling on the streets had taught him to be suspicous of everything. "After all, the Doc did tell us to wait here, right?"

"Oh come on Slick, where's your spirit of adventure?" Judy chided, her lengthy ears already tuning themselves in the direction of one particular passage. "Now, I wonder what's down here?" The bunny asked herself as she slipped behind the TARDIS.

"Hey hey Carrots, wait up!" Nick stumbled hurriedly, rounding the corner of the Police Box.

Too late. She was already invisible through the wall of mist. The fox exhaled uneasily, the steam from his breath visible in the bitter air. "Carrots! Hopps! Judy?" He yelled out in vain; the only voice to call back was his own in a ghostly echo. _Great, all alone with only my own voice in stereo for company_. The combination of his missing bunny partner and his isolation gnawed away at the tod's nerves, and made him feel distinctly uneasy; "Now where could she have got to?" Nick muttered; _this_ was where he missed Judy's impeccable rabbit hearing.

"NICK!" A piercing cry, terrified and panic-stricken. An icy shiver ran down the fox's spine:

"JUDY!"

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone! I apologise if these first couple of chapters appear realtively short in terms of word count, but I just wanted to get the "nuts and bolts" exposition out of the way, if you will; rest assured, from the next chapter onwards the main thrust of the plot will start to kick into gear.  
**

 **Incidentally, thank you all so much for your views/reviews/faves/follows, etc. I appreciate each one massively, and I genuinely mean that.**

 **Until next time!**


	3. Part Three

"NICK!" A piercing cry, terrified and panic-stricken. An icy shiver ran down the fox's spine:

"JUDY!"

He ran, fast.

The fox hurtled down successive tunnels, cold air whipping through his clothes and fur, his senses trained firmly on the distressed cry of his partner. Adrenaline coursed through the mammal's body, almost on all fours in sheer desperation. Fear clouded his thoughts as he drove himself on; in his mind Nick dreaded the worst. He sighted something ahead of him, splayed across the floor and shrouded in darkness:

a body.

 _No_... "Judy!" He launched himself towards the body on the floor, heaving air into his chest.

Something flung itself at his chest.

 _Judy_.

"Oh Nick!" The bunny whimpered, sobbing into the cream fur on the underside of his neck. The tod simply held her tight, stroking the doe's ears and inhaling her sent. Although Judy had been on the force with her partner for some time, coming face to face with death was still a new and hallowing experience for the emotional rabbit. By contrast, Nick was used to an uncomfortable existence, living hand-to-mouth as he did. Gruesome events had been almost commonplace to him; he and Finnick had learned to watch each others' backs against many unsavoury individuals over the years. He sighed gently. If anything had happened to his bunny...

 _Wait, his bunny_? _Weird_.

The echoing of paws along the tunnel floors interrupted their embrace, as the Doctor and Peri thudded towards them. "We heard shouting! What's wrong?" Peri stuttered breathlessly. The Doctor stepped past in a brusque fashion, as if knowing what he would find. The mammal was a tiger, mists swirling around the military tunic it wore, its eyes wide and unblinking; a look of pure terror etched onto its face. The Time Lord knelt down to check for a pulse; its neck lolled lifelessly to one side. The lion screwed his eyes shut tightly.

"Poor fellow." He whispered bluntly, his voice tinged with remorse. "Now," he hauled himself to his feet "let's find out who did this shall we?" He began to move along the tunnel, eyes trained to the ground.

"Hey, wait!" Judy yelled at him angrily, nose wrinkling, tears moistening her cheeks, amethyst eyes blazing with fury. "This poor guy's dead, and you're just going to brush over it? How can you even carry on like that you heartless-"

The Doctor wheeled on her at that point. "Officer Hopps," he cooed softly, transfixing her in his clear gaze "as an inhabitant of the planet Gallifrey, I just so happen to possess two hearts. Now that may be useful biologically, however it also matters emotionally. You have to understand: for me every beautiful sight is twice as wonderful, every adventure is twice as exhilarating!" He smoothed his mane. "And every loss is just that much more painful. Believe me I know, I've seen a lifetime's worth of it. Several in fact..." he tailed off, before composing himself again. "Therefore, a tragedy like this needs to be investigated! As an officer of the law you must surely understand the need for that?" A little righteous indignation crept into his voice once again, "Getting terribly upset with each other isn't exactly going to help us." The Doctor indicated the lifeless form of the tiger. "Or him either." he added.

"You know, he's right Carrots." Nick interjected: he trained his emerald orbs on the bunny. "Standing here arguing ain't gonna help us find out what happened to him." the fox pointed out. He stroked her cheek with affection. "But if we can find the perp, then we can do something about it." The fox tapped the doe on her shoulder. "M'kay?"

Judy sniffled. _He's always so good at this_. "Yeah, I guess. Suppose I got a bit emotional there." she twiddled her thumbs apprehensively, "I'm so sorry about that Doctor," she admitted with guilt "I know you're really trying, and I should have been more reasonable about it. I don't know why, but I felt...kinda scared." The officer finished, not really daring to look up.

The Doctor nodded in appreciation. "My dear Judy, there is nothing for you to apologise for. After all, it can take a great deal of courage to be afraid. Peri and I know that better than anyone." The lion turned back to the wall, scrutinising every inch of the rough surface. "Now, if we can find some concrete evidence-"

"Ah."

A gun barrel, levelled straight at the Doctor's muzzle. He backed away.

Emerging into sight came a pair of mammals: a stony-faced, impassive rhino and a shifty, agitated jackal. Both wore tunics similar to those of the tiger. More importantly, both held machine guns at their sides, pointing directly at the four travellers. The jackal shifted on its paws and stepped forward, sneering at the colourful lion.

"And what do we have here?" He demanded, voice high pitched and nasally, anger palpable; a pair of small beady eyes glared with disdain.

"Hello there," the Time Lord replied quite innocently "I am the Doctor, and this is-"

The jackal jabbed the barrel of his gun hard into the Doctor's chest; he doubled over in pain. "Shut it!" he screeched in a grating tone, hackles raised.

"Oh, do put that thing away!" Chided the lion, regaining his posture. _Wherever I go in the universe, why_ _are there always people pointing guns at me_? "You'll hurt someone if you're not careful, you know!"

"I said-"

"That's enough." The rhino deadpanned, stepping past the two arguing predators. He visibly flinched at the sight of the dead tiger. "My God, they've killed Bengal!"

"B-but we didn't kill him!" Peri stuttered "We just found him here!"

"Yeah yeah, sure thing traitor!" Sneered the jackal, spitting out the final word. The mammal raised his gun, "I've a good mind to just-"

"Hey bud," said Nick sternly, "I don't know what you're problem is but-"

"Did I ask you fox!" The jackal retorted. A low growl escaped the tod. _Not another one_.

"Actually sir," stated Judy, "my colleague and I are both ZPD officers, and so we both reserve every right to ask questions!" The doe displayed her badge, foot thumping in annoyance. "And I can also inform you that lethal projectile weapons are illegal under the Federal Firearms Act!"

The rhino chuckled dryly, "Looks like we got us a strange one here!" He reached to his belt and unclipped a small radio, which he held to his face. "Captain Black and Sergeant Sibuna reporting in, four prisoners, suspected of assisting the enemy." He glanced disparagingly at the mammals in question. "We got a clown, a cheerleader and two cops playing dress-up." The Doctor's eyes bulged at the comment; the lion placed his paws at his hips, tail swishing furiously behind him. _Clown indeed!_

"Returning to the camp now Sir. Over and out!" With that the radio was returned to the rhino's belt and the gun was at his side once again. "Alright you mammals, move it!"

Nothing.

"I said, _move_ it!"

"Captain, couldn't we just kill 'em here? They're no good to us anyway!"

"No!" The rhino gestured with his gun. "Move before I change my mind..."

The four travellers shuffled off reluctantly in the direction the gun was pointing: the Doctor led, followed by the two officers, with Peri bringing up the rear. She sighed to herself:

 _Thanks a lot Doc, another garden paradise!_

* * *

The journey through the tunnels was conducted mainly in a tense, unerring silence. Nick would occasionally attempt a whisper towards his bunny partner, only to be met with a fierce growl from the jackal, Sibuna, and the sound of a cocking machine gun reverberating down the tunnels. They worked to a clear route, winding their way through the mists, breath frosting.

The slick movements of the creature observing them went unnoticed.

* * *

The six mammals emerged into an open area, roughly circular; unlike the smooth surfaces of the other tunnels, the walls seemed rough and covered in scorch marks. Electric lamps were positioned haphazardly, casting patches of light around them. Small patrols of uniformed soldiers swept around the perimeter, machine guns in hand. Many sat on large wooden crates, polishing their weapons or consuming measly-looking packets of dried food. Next to the nearest wall a small pack of wolves huddled together, a game of cribbage underway. One of them, fur white but stained with soot, let out a howl of frustration, game clearly not going his way. Naturally, this set each one off in turn. Many of the soldiers seemed gaunt and frail; some slouched in various corners and against crates, shoulders slumped and faces weary. The four travellers were led at gunpoint through the camp, attracting many strange glances from the troops.

"Gee Doc," Nick mumbled wryly, "is time travel always this glamorous?" The lion shrugged it off with a tut.

"Obviously a military encampment." observed the Doctor, "Though not in the best of states I'll admit." The lion turned to examine the walls. "So tell me Captain Black," he asked the rhino, "how long did it take you to hollow out this particular area?"

"Long enough."

"Really, that long? How very interesting!" retorted the Doctor, failing to get any reaction out the gruff soldier. On the other hand, his jackal comrade was more than happy to oblige with a vicious glare or two. _Oh well, can't win 'em all eh Doctor?_

They eventually arrived at a large pitched tent on the far side, a pig and weasel crisis-crossing each other at the opening, presumably on guard. The two mammals obligingly pulled aside the entrance to the tent, showing the weathering of the faded edges. Inside, a functional area containing the odd chair or box; a flat-pack wooden desk erected at the end. The Captain and Sergeant ordered the travellers forward, Nick's keen nose picking up a distinct oily tang.

Sat at the desk was an imposing polar bear, white fur tinged with grey, a pair of half-moon spectacles perched on the end of his nose. His tunic seemed similar to the other soldiers, save for the addition of a row of badges pinned to the mammal's breast. The bear was focused intently on a pile of papers in front of him, the pages spread out across the breadth of the table.

"General Iceac," Black inquired tentatively. The bear looked up in mild frustration.

"Yes Captain, I am busy with these rationing reports!" the General snapped, smoothing out the reports in front of him.

"Well sir, this is very important."

"I'm sure, just get on with it Captain!"

"These are the four prisoners we found." said Black. He hesitated. "They...they killed private Bengal, Sir!" The rhino stood to attention.

A tense silence. Hell had frozen over.

General Iceac straightened up from his desk. The polar bear ran his right paw through the fur along the top of his head. He slid the glasses of the end of his snout and carefully placed them on the desk. " _Killed_ , you say?" asked the General softly. His voice was perfectly quiet.

"Now come on guys, this has all been a big misunderstanding!" pleaded Nick. Being so good at reading people, Iceac's tone was starting to unsettle the fox.

"Yeah sure thing _traitor_!" Sibuna cut in, again drawing put the final word. "Scum like you oughta be-"

"QUIET, ALL OF YOU!" Iceac bellowed, suddenly exploding in a burst of rage. All eyes in the tent turned towards him. Another silence. "Black, Sibuna, wait outside." finished the General, his voice returning to a normal volume almost instantly. The rhino and jackal hesitated; Iceac let out a low growl. His fist crashed suddenly into the table, splitting the wood with an audible crack.

"I SAID OUT!"

Reluctantly, the two soldiers ambled out of the tent. The polar bear examined his fist, before addressing the travellers. "Under Section 52 of the Military Code of Conduct," he stated, removing the splinters from his paw one by one, "collaboration with the enemy is punishable by death." Clearly, he knew the rules.

"Oh great, story time with Mr. Bear!" Nick snarked at him. "I gotta tell, ya', I thought I'd had enough of that when I was a kit!"

"Listen up fox!" The polar bear snarled, bearing his teeth at the tod, before composing himself. "Being a traitor is bad enough, however based on how you answer my questions, I can do one of two things."

"And...they are?" Judy asked, nose twitching.

The General smiled. "The firing squad can aim for the head or the legs."

* * *

"Mind if I light up a smoke sir?" Sibuna asked his superior officer. Black gave a small grunt of approval; he turned his bulky form away from the jackal. The Sergeant pulled a cigarette from inside his tunic. _Sure_ , _we've been stuck in this freezing cesspit for months, but the_ _chain of_ _command is still here to stay_. He lit up the roll and took a long drag, smoke burning his throat. "Wonder why they chose to buddy up with those freaks sir?" he asked, mainly to himself. He exhaled; smoke flew from his snout and drifted upwards towards the ceiling.

"Don't know Sibuna." Black replied, the cold metal of the rifle against his calloused skin, "But don't worry, their blood'll run down the gutters soon enough."

A shadow shifted across the wall, disturbing both mammals. Only visible for a moment, but clearly unfriendly.

"Sir!"

"I saw it!" Black confirmed, "Better tell the General!"

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Judy summoned up as much confidence as she could under the circumstances. "you're going to going to kill us, just like that, with no concrete evidence?"

"Yes, that is a rather specious argument you have there, General." the Doctor chimed in. He stroked at his mane, his claws tracing through the dark fur. "Might I suggest you seek better legal advice?" the lion joked. It seemed he had finally found some common ground with the russet fox.

A sigh escaped Iceac. "I should have realised how difficult you would all be."

"Difficult? Difficult?! DIFFICULT?!" roared the Time Lord. He stepped towards the polar bear. "My dear fellow, you do intend to have us put to death don't you? And for what reason? Just because we tried to help one of your dead comrades? Surely a mere _pen pusher_ such as yourself doesn't want to add to the number of corpses?"

"I don't like your tone, lion!" bellowed Iceac; he certainly matched Doctor in terms of shouting ability.

"Well," the Doctor snorted, "I wish that was all I didn't like about you!"

"Now look here, I won't stand for any more of this!"

"Oh yes you will General!" the lion retaliated. "Besides, we don't even know who your mysterious enemy is, do we?"

Nick, Judy and Peri shook their heads in the negative.

Iceac exhaled sharply through his nostrils, a note of mirth creeping into his face. "You don't really expect me to believe that do you? Everyone down here knows about the Cybermammals!"

The Doctor froze. With that single word, all theatrics and pomp drained out of him. The Time Lord stood completely still.

"The Cybermammals?" whispered the lion. His eyes lit up. "Who's conspiring with the Emmy now then, eh?"

"What?" snapped General Iceac; his eyes blazed with another sudden fit of rage.

"You've just given your prisoners information, thus compromising your position as leader!" The Doctor rounded on the polar bear.

"Wonder what's in your rule book about that?" grinned Peri.

"Pretty sure you've betrayed the trust of your troops!" Nick taunted, happily joining in.

"Which is kind of a big deal!" concluded Judy, amethyst eyes sparkling. _I could really get used to this_.

Nick swore he could almost see the General turn even paler under his fur. A thought dawned on him: "Hey Doc, what are these Cybermammals anyway?"

The Doctor flinched slightly before answering. "The Cybermammals. Part organic, part robot. Creatures of pure logic. Convert innocent mammals into emotionless killing machines without fear, pity or remorse."

"Gee, kinda like Bogo on a bad day then!" the tod responded flippantly. He immediately realised his mistake upon seeing the dread in the Doctor's eyes. "Okay, worse."

"You could say that." Said the lion, steely blue eyes turning back to Iceac. "Now listen General, this is clearly a dangerous situation and I think some more proactive action is required. You obviously haven't had much success so far, and so I propose that I take a few of your best troops and assess the situation." He dominated the room, chest puffed out in pride, paws clutching at his lapels.

"Way to hustle Doc, don't you agree Carrots?" the fox turned to his bunny partner. She nodded in sly approval.

The Doctor tutted modestly, "Well, if you like."

"Sir!" Sibuna burst into the tent, panting in exhaustion. "Cybermammal sited at perimeter of camp, but there may be more of them about!"

"And what an excellent opportunity to strike the next blow!" The Doctor breezed towards the exit of the tent before the General even had time to respond.

"Hey Doc," Nick clutched the arm of the lion's multicoloured coat, "you don't think we could all just skedaddle back to that TARDIS of yours?" he asked hopefully. It was in vain.

"My dear chap!" protested the Doctor, "We can't just run our backs on this now! Whatever you may think of the mammal's here, they are certainly preferable to the Cybermammals. And I speak from personal experience." A look of regret came over his face. He gestured to the the fox and his rabbit partner. "Though I am sorry I got you two into this." With that, he hurried out of the tent.

* * *

It hadn't taken the Doctor long to organise a party to search for the Cybermammal: effortlessly in fact, which was probably what aggravated Sergeant Sibuna the most. Nevertheless, General Iceac had reluctantly scraped together a group consisting of the four time travellers, the jackal, Captain Black, an otter, weasel and moose. Loaded up with small arms, they cautiously traversed the tunnels in search of the creature.

"Anything Nick?" asked the Doctor, well aware of the fox's strong sense of smell.

The tod sighed: his ears pressed flat against his skull. "Not sure Doc. Kinda like..." a pause. "Kinda like antiseptic if you ask me. How about you Carrots?" He gestured to the bunny.

"Nope, can't hear much going on." she said in reply.

The Doctor nodded his head. "Right, we're not getting anywhere that way then." He turned to Sibuna: "Do you happen to recognise any of these tunnels?"

A low growl from the jackal, who refused to make eye contact with the Doctor. The Time Lord sighed in frustration. "Come on Sergeant, do be a bit more cooperative!"

With that Sibuna launched himself at the lion, holding him roughly by the lapels of his coat, pulling a switchblade knife from inside his tunic. "Now listen lion!" He screamed manically. Cold steel traced along the Doctor's muzzle, pricking at the fur. "You may have pulled the wool over the General's eyes, but you don't fool me! Any of you!" His eyes blazed with passion and anger. "You're all still traitors to me!"

"Stop it!" Yelled Peri, grabbing desperately at the jackal's arm. Nick and Judy soon followed, all trying to break the Sergeant's vice-like grip on the Doctor. As they struggled, Captain Black soon stepped in. Swatting aside the smaller mammals he roughly hauled his jackal comrade off of the lion, and held the struggling soldier in mid-air.

"Enough Sibuna! Whatever you may think of them, the General ordered us to work with them, so control yourself!" He threw the Sergeant to the floor, the jackal's knife skittering across the surface. Sibuna simply picked himself up with a low-pitched whine, and bent down to retrieve the object. The rhino turned his attention back to the Doctor. "You OK?" he asked gruffly. "I understand his reasons, but orders are orders."

"Charmed I'm sure!" retorted the Docctor, dusting off his patchwork nightmare. "You really should reign him in you know, don't want him spelling too much blood!" He coughed. "Especially blood as noble as mine!"

"Is he always this modest Peri?", rabbit asked gazelle.

"Afraid so."

A noise distracted the bunny, like cold steel scraping over brick. Her ears turned sharply in its direction. "Over there, round the next corner!"

"Back against the wall!" The Doctor ordered. The soldiers pressed up against the side of the tunnel, guns trained on the length of darkness ahead of them.

A section of the wall slid away, throwing a sharp beam of bright light into the tunnel. Out stepped a creature, clearly visible to the group. It taller than the average mammal, and looked as if it towered over the space. Matte black in colour, the thing seemed to be made entirely out of metal and plastic. Boots affixed to long, stocky legs, and arms which seemed just as long; thick padded gloves covered its paws, as if ready for combat. A mesh-like formation extended over the creature's body: a large single piece of metal fixed to its shoulders and chest. The head vaguely resembled that of a mammal, but totally devoid of detail. Two dark, unblinking holes where the eyes should have been. A single line for the mouth. A conspicuous pair of handles extended from the sides of its head to the top. The section of wall slid back once again, plunging it into disturbing half-darkness.

A Cybermammal.

"It's a Scout!" The Doctor whispered to the others.

"You what?" Black replied.

"A Cyber Scout. They use them in confined areas such as this, as a preliminary tool before the main force follows up."

"And how do you know that?" barked Sibuna, temper flaring once again, suspicious of the lion.

"My dear chap, I do happen to have met them before!" the Doctor responded angrily.

"Erm, guys," Nick interrupted. "I think we have a bigger problem."

The Cybermammal had begun stalking towards them, having noticed the disturbance.

"Steady." Black ordered his troops, licking his lips. The creature continued its steady advance towards them. "Wait till it's in range."

 _Closer_.

"Aim."

 _Closer_.

"Fire!"

A hail of bullets greeted the Cybermammal. The sharp rattle of the machine guns sprayed round after round towards the thing, partially obscured in the tunnel. The soldiers formed a line, blocking the creature from going any further, and continuing to pump bullets at it.

"Forget this!" Shouted Nick, realsing time was running out. The fox set off down the tunnel, Sibuna's knife in paw.

"Nick!" Judy cried out: the bunny sprinted after him, covering the ground quickly.

"Cease fire!" Black yelled out in frustration. _That damn fox is in the_ _way of the target_.

Within seconds, the tod lunged at the Cybermammal's leg, slashing upwards with the knife. The creature pivoted slightly on its knee. A horrid green fluid spurted out from the cut, droplets splattering against the floor. Nick swung back around, but the thing was already bearing down on him: a single arm raised, ready to deliver the crushing blow.

"No!" Judy flung herself at the wall, and bounced off it towards the Cybermammal. A fast-moving blur of grey and blue made contact with the creature. Its arm was torn clean from its socket, landing on the ground with an audible thump; it stiffened of its own accord. Sparks cascaded from the stump where once a limb had been. The Cybermammal stumbled, apparently unsure of its target. Recovering from his shock, Nick lunged upwards once again, plunging the knife firmly into the chest unit of the creature. Small explosions rattled along its body as it fell to the ground, unmoving.

The fox breathed a sigh of relief. "That was a close one Carrots!" _Definitely not going through that one_ _again_.

"You're telling me!" said Judy, resting her arm on the fox as her heart rate began to return to normal.

Wiping the green fluid from his fur (and smelling it disapprovingly), he crossed to the body of the Cybermammal: the fox pulled the knife from its chest. "That was lucky!"

"It was indeed!" boomed he Doctor, as the rest of the party finally caught up with them. A mix of anger, bewilderment and relief was written across their faces.

"Your knife, I think?" Nick tossed the object back to Sibuna, who growled with suspicion. "Where'd you get that from?"

"Same place you do." the tod smiled, "Your inside pocket."

"Yes, very good." conceded the Doctor. "Now, let's get this back to the camp shall we?"

* * *

By the time they'd shifted the Cybermammal back to the camp, the party had aroused significant attention from the other soldiers. The Captain and Sergeant hurled the body of the creature onto the floor; the troops swarmed around it to take a look.

"One near-pristine Cyber Scout, for your entertainment!" Nick declared facetiously. "Don't worry: it's quite 'armless!" His rabbit partner cringed at the quip, looking despairingly at the fox.

"C'mon Carrots, it was worth a try..." The doe face-pawed.

"Hey you lot!" General Iceac barked, approaching the group. He pointed at the four travellers. "I need to speak to you, privately. Sergeant, you and the men keep an eye on this thing. Captain, take the next watch period."

"Yes Sir" Black acknowledged, before walking away from the group.

The Doctor, Peri and two officers followed the General towards the tent, prompting a sneering look from Sibuna.

"Bunch of nuts. Anyway," he drew the switchblade from his pocket, "let's have a go at this thing, see how it works." He began prying at the faceplate of the Scout.

"Are you sure about this?" asked the moose, who had joined them on the patrol. "Looks kinda dangerous to me."

"Ah shut it Moossos!" the jackal snapped; he turned to look up at the ceiling. "My Ma' always said I'd have been a good surgeon.

"Yeah," Moossos interrupted, "could have done some work on your face then!" He laughed. A cold glare from Sibuna soon stopped that.

"Whatever." The Sergeant drawled bitterly, as he returned to work on the faceplate...

* * *

"That Cyber Scout seems to have attracted an awful lot of attention." The Doctor noted. "Surely they must have seen one before?"

"No." Iceac conceded, "I wasn't exactly expecting them to trap us down here and pick us off one by one! None of them have ever gotten close enough to look at one properly."

"But you have?" Peri asked.

The General sighed, the strain showing on his face. "Yes. Yes, I've met them before." The polar bear sat himself in his chair, body facing away from the other four mammals. "When I was serving on one of the outer planets, my squad stumbled across another group of Cybermammals. They sent me down to investigate with one of my comrades." He hesitated slightly. "Polarski was his name. We'd been...friends a long time. I was the only one who came back." Judy could swear she saw the old General wipe a tear away from the corner of his eye. "So I know what we're up against. I don't say I trust you for one moment, but I'll go along with you for now."

"Thank you General," the Doctor said sincerely, with no trace of bluster, "I understand that must have been hard for you. After all, not all our scars are on the outside you know."

Judy felt at the marks beneath her fur, given to her when she was just nine.

 _Not all scars are on the_ _outside, you know_.

She was shaken from her thoughts by a hard electronic clacking, like a siren. "Hey Slick, hear that?" she asked the fox.

He shrugged in reply. "Again Carrots, no rabbit ears over here!"

"General, come quick!"

Everyone heard that.

The five mammals bounded out of the tent, back towards the cluster of soldiers. They all seemed to be muttering to themselves and to each other. Half confused, half worried.

"Out of the way please, I am a Doctor!" the lion barged his way through the troops, General in tow, until he arrived at the body of the Cyber Scout. The face plate had been removed, exposing a skeletal structure and a mass of wiring. A small orange light in the upper potion of the face was flashing furiously, emitting the unusual noise. "You idiots! Who did this?" he roared, panic overtaking his expression.

"W-we just wanted to see what was inside it!" pleaded Moossos. "What's the big deal anyway?"

" _Big deal?_ " the lion fumed, "That is an automated distress signal! The transmitter is always concealed behind the faceplate! The Cybermammals will have an exact fix on this location!"

"You seem to know so much about these Cybermammals!" Sibuna cut in, "And it's making me suspicious!"

The Doctor wheeled on him sharply. "I thought we'd got past all of this accusatory nonsense?"

"Not even close lion, now tell me-"

"Look, there's no time for any of this!" Peri pointed out, the gazelle rocking anxiously on her hooves "The Doctor knows what he's talking about!"

"Doctor, eh?" the Sergeant sniped, "Doctor of what? Circus performing?"

"As it happens practically everything!" The Doctor said, batting aside the question. "Now, what we need to do is-"

An explosion tore through the nearest wall, sending several mammals flying across the camp. Screams of fear and terror rang out as a large hole was blasted out, debris flying every which way. The Doctor and the mammals surrounding him were knocked to the floor by the force of the blast.

From the smouldering gap stepped a looming creature: another Cybermammal. However, unlike the black scout, this creature was entirely silver, highlighting the metallic details on the creature's body. Gripped in its hands was a roughly circular, futuristc-looking gun. A deep Crimson barrel, with an off-yellow handle. The Cybermammal was followed by creature after identical creature, pouring through the gap until they formed a line of some twenty cyborgs. Leading the group was a single individual, who appeared slightly taller than the others. As opposed to the silver handles of the other creatures, this one's were painted black, as if to signify superiority. It raised a gloved fist.

" _Destroy them_!" It ordered in an electronic, modulated voice. " _Destroy them at once_!"


	4. Part Four

"Destroy them!" It ordered in an electronic, modulated voice. "Destroy them at once!"

The Cybermammals raised their guns in unison.

"Take cover!" Iceac bellowed.

The crackle of blaster fire rang all around, as blue bolts of energy blossomed out from the barrels of the Cyber guns. Fierce explosions tore through the camp as mammals scampered behind supply crates and boxes, scrabbling desperately for their guns; clouds of dust were thrown up from the floor, masking the gap between friend and foe.

"Concentrate your fire!" Black ordered his troops, the rhino returning fire to the Cybermammals. The rattle of machine guns filled the air, bullets ricocheting off the walls of the camp. Sparks flew from the Cybermammals; they stiffened slightly under the onslaught, but continued their steady advance.

Nick weaved in and out of the hellish carnage, narrowly dodging past falling bodies and showers of sparks cascading down on him. Dust clung to the back of his throat, heart pounding in his ears. The fox sighted Judy, grey fur and panicked amethyst eyes barely visible ahead of him. The Doctor stood beside her, paw outstretched, encouraging him forwards.

Black. A falling mass blocked his path: an elephant, felled by the Cybermammals. Panic-stricken, the fox wheeled around for another route. A towering steel giant loomed over him, gun raised. Nick screwed his eyes shut, instinct taking over.

He hurtled towards the tunnel.

* * *

Judy stumbled amongst the darkness as the mingled sounds of gunfire and screaming receded into the distance. The Doctor joined her, multicoloured coat tails flapping behind him. The doe struggled to calm herself, panting feverishly. The ZPD was one thing, but being thrown head first into a pitched battle, death all around, weighed massively on her. "Nick!" She cried out, turning back in the direction of the carnage, "We've got to go back for him!"

"There's nothing we can do!" The Doctor said, holding the rabbit back. "There's no point in risking your life as well!"

"What's the matter with you?" Judy yelled at the lion. "Don't you care?"

"Care? Care? Of course I care! We shouldn't be running head first back into a situation where we're at a distinct disadvantage!" He began pacing back and forth, tail swishing, "Besides Peri and, it seems, Officer Wilde are more than capable of looking after themselves."

"Yeah, I suppose," said the doe, rubbing her paws together in thought, "but we've still got to help them somehow!"

"Of course, I quite agree. However, we have to admit that standing here arguing about it isn't going to solve any of our immediate problems!" He dusted some of the debris from his coat. "Now, I suggest we devise a plan of action. We obviously can't go back that way, so we'll have to find both Peri and your colleague via another route..." He tailed off, lost in thought. Judy's ears turned in the direction of...something. She edged further into the darkness, spying a small crack in the ground. A faint wind rippled through her fur.

 _A way out!_

She edged through the crack, and up into a larger cavern. It seemed to slope upwards; the bunny was sure she could see an opening further up. "Hey Doctor, look!" The doe called to the Time Lord. He pounded over to the crevasse, satisfied look on his face.

"Aha! Well done Officer!" He squeezed through the crack, "A natural opening like this-"

"Must lead up to the surface!"

"Exactly!" Judy grinned to herself. _Not just a dumb_ _bunny_. "Very astute Miss Hopps-"

"J-just call me Judy," the doe cut in; she laughed nervously, "I think we're well outside the bounds of professional duty at this point!"

"Yes, yes quite," said the Doctor, rubbing his paws together, "now, I suspect we both have rather a troubling trek ahead of us: once more unto the breach!"

* * *

Nick stalked through the tunnel, struggling for breath. He had to find a way to get to Judy, he had to go-

A sharp blow sent him the fox hurtling into the wall. A shape lunched itself at him, arm pressed tight against his throat. Not a Cybermammal, but a snarling jackal, pure hatred in his eyes. Sibuna raised his knife, poised in mid air; it caught the dim light of the tunnel, casting a prism of shimmering colours above Nick's eyes. The fox kicked at the jackal's leg in desperation, sending them both tumbling to the floor; he rolled on top of the soldier, trying to pin him down. "Listen pal," Nick yelled in fury, "I'm not your enemy! Keep going and you'll get us both killed!"

Sibuna finally seemed to stop struggling, dirt clinging to his tunic. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Hey, you saw them shooting at us as well! I mean, I doubt those guys have any taste for deep-fried double agent!"

"This may be a big joke to you fox," sneered the jackal, "but I've just lost a lotta friends, good friends, to those freaks."

An awkward pause.

"Well," Nick began, "then I guess we'd better start doing something about it."

"Yeah." Sibuna replied curtly, "Right."

"Good. Now, we can't go back, so I guess...forwards?"

* * *

The Cyber Leader swept into the control centre: cold, sterile. Banks of computers made up the far side wall. Gantries and walkways lined the room, Cybermammals striding across them. As Iceac and Moossos were led in, they passed a line of three alcoves. Both were disgusted by the sight; mammals, metal and plastic grafted onto their bodies, wires streaming from their necks, well on their way to becoming Cybermammals.

"S-sir, w-what do we do?" Moossos pleaded, a sick feeling mounting inside him.

"Say nothing." Iceac replied, "We won't let these tin things outdo us." _Just like the last_ _time_.

The Cyber-Leader swept forward, looming over the two mammals. "The TARDIS has been located in one of the tunnels. Where is the Doctor?"

"No idea what you're talking about," the bear replied, his tone dismissive. "Try someone else."

The Cyber-Leader jabbed a single digit into Iceac's shoulder; the bear grunted in pain.

"You will tell me where he is."

"N-no... I w-won't!"

"A stubborn creature." The Cyber-Leader withdrew his fist, the bear exhaling sharply. "But as for your comrade...That is a different matter."

Moossos shuddered in fear as the impassive steel giant stomped towards him. "You will tell met where the Doctor is to be found."

"I-I don't know! H-honestly!"

"We shall soon see." The Leader gestured to the Cybermammals guarding the moose.

"Shall I order his total Cyber-conversion, Leader?" Asked the Cyber-Lieutenant, approaching its superior.

"No," replied the Cyber-Leader, raising a stocky arm, "he may serve a more useful purpose."

* * *

Light steadily faded from the passage as Nick stalked his way along, a suspicious Sibuna bringing up the rear. Luckily, the tod's night vision came in rather handy.

 _Be thankful for small mercies._

"Yeah, we're definitely going down," said the fox, noticing the gentle slope of the path. "Any idea where it leads?"

"Cyber-Control I guess."

"Oh boy, that should be interesting," the tod replied, "they'll need someone to lighten their conversation-"

"What's that?" The jackal cut in, pointing ahead of Nick. Somwthing perched on the edge of a rock. The two mammals strayed forwards, trying desperately to keep quiet. A figure, slumped against the wall, gaze cast downwards. "Moossos!" Sibuna exclaimed, rushing towards his comrade; the moose's military jacket was draped over his shoulders, expression blank. "What happened?"

"What? I...got away. Tried to turn me into a Cybermammal."

A pause. "Well, we gotcha now anyway," Nick responded, "fancy joining our band of merry mammals?"

The remark seemingly went over the moose's head. "Yeah...sure."

Nick sighed. _Why does no one appreciate my genius?_ The tod carried on ahead, Sibuna in tow. "You coming?" The jackal snapped at his comrade.

Moossos shuffled off after them into the darkness.

* * *

"Can't we rest?" Peri called out, struggling to keep up with the rhino.

"Should be safe now," Black said, coming to a halt "they won't follow us this far!"

"Glad you're so confident," said the gazelle, "don't know if you've noticed, but they don't get tired very easily!"

"Doesn't matter anyway. They're all dead." He seemed despondent.

"Oh come on, we've gotta do something! How about we-"

"Remain where you are!" A voice sounded behind them: a Cybermammal, gun raised. "You will accompany me."

* * *

 **A/N: A massive thank you to ZNN for featuring this story (as well as my poem, With This Collar) on their site!**

 **Faves/Follows/Reviews/PMs appreciated as always.**


	5. Part Five

"Remain where you are!" A voice sounded behind them: a Cybermammal, gun raised. "You will accompany me."

* * *

The biting cold winds whipped angrily across the frozen landscape, covered in a thick blanket of white. Various caverns and crevices jutted out at strange, disorientating angles, distant twin Suns causing the snow to glitter. A single pair of ears shot up through the icy wastes, turning slightly as the wind blew against them. Judy hauled herself out into the open, wind whipping up through her fur. After a helping paw The Doctor followed, not coping much better. "It's s-so c-cold," the doe mumbled through chattering teeth. _Tundratown has nothing on this._

"Thanks for reminding me!" The Time Lord replied witheringly, gazing across the rolling mounds of snow. "Now, judging by the direction of the tunnels," he roared, struggling to be heard above the wailing of the storm, "I'd say we carry on along a parallel trajectory above ground!"

"So, we go forward?"

"If you'd prefer to use your parlance." The lion flicked his tail in a sudden movement, dislodging the snow that had accumulated there.

"Great. Are you sure we can get back underground?"

"Well, that's a calculated risk I'm afraid!" He began thudding along the ground, leaving clear paw prints behind him in the snow. The doe sighed. _This is going to be a long_ _trek._

"Ok, let's go!"

* * *

The tunnel emerged out into a larger cavern; a gaping chasm stretched out before the three mammals, blackness extending downwards out of sight. A precarious looking rope bridge straddled the abyss, sagging slightly at the middle. "Looks fun," Nick said, throwing a knowing glance at the jackal and moose. His voice echoed around the cavern before dissipating. "One of yours?"

"Nope. Don't think so." Sibuba answered: Moossos stared ahead like he hadn't heard them.

"Welp," the tod continued anyway "it'll have to do. Suppose it'll take our weight."

"And if it doesn't?" Asked Sibuna.

"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." An empty silence. "Okay never mind, off we go." The fox stepped onto the bridge, being careful not to his nerves show. The bridge buckled under his weight, wooden boards creaking. He steadied himself, clinging onto the ropes on either side. "Looks fine, think we'll make it!"

"Hope you're sure." Sibuna said, stepping forward himself. He still wasn't sure what to make of the fox, but thought it was best to go along with him. _For now, at least._

"So do I."

The jackal soon joined Nick on the bridge, testing the weight under his feet. He still wasn't sure what to make of the fox, but thought it was best to go along with him. For now. "Moossos, c'mon!" He barked at his comrade.

"I-I'll join you in a minute," the moose mumbled. Nick and Sibuna looked at each other, puzzled. They carried on regardless, trying their best not to think about the appalling drop beneath them.

Then, without warning, the two mammals were hurled from side to side, crashing into the wooden boards. They both looked back in unison. To their horror they saw Moossos, coat slipping off of his shoulders; where his right arm should have been was a crude metallic replacement. Wires streamed from the joints, a simple claw-like feature replacing his hoof. The moose gripped hold of the bridge, attempting to tear it from the rock face.

"Stay here!" Nick ordered Sibuna, as the fox raced back across the bridge towards Moossos. Springing upwards, he slammed headlong into the moose, the noise echoing around the cavern. Sibuna, still straddling the bridge, looked on in disbelief. "Go!" The fox called to him. But he couldn't.

Nick felt the grip of a metallic claw on his shoulder; he was hurled through the air, crashing into the jagged rock wall. Bent double in pain, breath knocked out of him, he could just about make out Moossos lumbering towards him. In desperation, he lunged at the moose, trying to catch him off guard. Biting, clawing, scratching, nothing made a difference as the moose held him in a vice-like grip, digging painfully into Nick's chest. He saw his vision cloud over: it felt like he was drowning, gasping for air...

A row of teeth sunk into Moossos' silver arm, sparks and smoke billowing from it. He let go of Nick, the fox crumpling to the floor. The moose wrestled with Sibuna, the jackal wrapping himself around the body of the larger mammal. In their struggle, they edged further and further towards the edge. Out of the corner of his eye, the jackal sighted the precarious drop; he slackened his muscles, his entire body going limp. The moose was thrown off balance, looming forwards. Realising what was happening, the tod heaved himself to his feet, rushing hurriedly towards the struggling mammals-

The two tumbled over the edge, vanishing into the abyss below. Nick barely managed to slide to a halt, hanging precariously over the edge. Eyes wide in shock, he struggled to process what had just happened. Rising to his feet, pangs of sharp pain stinging his body, the tod realised he'd been wrong about Sibuna. Now it was too late to tell him.

 _Now, time to get even with them._

* * *

They emerged out onto a steel gantry overlooking a vast complex. Level after level, Cybermammals milled around like a swarm of silver insects. In clusters they swept through the metal structure, moving from level to level, row by row. They marched in unison, guns holstered, each step eaving a sharp metal clang which hung in the air. "Didn't I tell you there'd be a service hatch?" The Doctor asked Judy. A bemused look from the bunny gave him all the answers he needed. "Oh well."

"How do you suppose we get through them?" Judy asked nervously: the idea of being slaughtered by a horde of marauding cyborgs didn't exactly appeal to her.

"With difficulty." The Doctor replied; scanning the walkways below them, he let out a frustrated sigh. " _Double, double, toil and trouble._ "

"What?"

"Shakesdeer."

"Name dropper." Judy huffed, not really in the mood for indulging the lion.

"Well, I did write it for him!" The Time Lord retorted with considerable pride. "He'd sprained his paw writing sonnets, so I-"

"Doctor!"

"Yes, of course, I am rather prone to these these momentary lapses in concentration-"

"No, look!"

There they saw a familiar fox: Nick, scurrying across a gantry opposite them, paws treading lightly as he went. But they could see what he couldn't; a Cybermammal sweeping around the corner, the tod completely unaware of the danger he was in. Judy tried to call out to him; the lion muffled her cry, trying to keep them concealed. The fox seemed to hear the sound, spinning around in confusion. In an instant the creature had him at gunpoint, with nowhere to go.

"We've got to help him!" The doe cried out, rushing towards her partner in desperation-

"Judy!" The Time Lord called to her, a look of horror spreading across his face.

"Hey!" She gave a yelp of shock as she crashed into a wall of cold steel; it practically swept her off her feet, carrying her upwards:

A Cybermammal.

The rabbit used all her strength to kick and struggle against it, yet the creature held her tight. The Doctor lept forward, only to be gripped by another silver giant; it twisted the lion's arm behind him, the Time Lord letting out a grunt of pain.

"Stop," came the command from the Cyber-Lieutenant, gun barrel levelled at the Doctor. "They must not be damaged."

"I dare say it's little late for that!" He replied, gasping from the pain of the Cybermammal's hold. With that comment, the creature's digits seemed to dig even tighter through the sleeve of his multicoloured coat.

"Silence! The Leader wishes to question the Doctor. Bring them."

* * *

The automatic door slid open; Peri and the Captain were tossed into a bare, box-like cell. There, hunched in the corner, was General Iceac, despondent expression etched across his face. "Sir!" Black exclaimed, relieved to see his commanding officer. "How long have you been here?"

"Don't know," Iceac replied, "dragged me and Moossos into Cyber-Control, then carted him off somewhere. They threw me in here."

The rhino paced around the perimeter of the cell, taking in the walls. _Solid steel. Damn._

"They'll probably want to question you, eventually. They seem obsessed with this Doctor of yours."

"Any idea what they're planning?" Peri asked him. The gazelle had stayed quiet until now, trying to keep her cool and not panic. It wasn't working.

The bear shrugged. "I've no more idea than you do. But knowing the Cybermammals they won't leave anyone alive."

* * *

"Leader, mammals captured after the battle."

"Is the Doctor among them?"

"Yes, Leader." The Lieutenant answered.

"Bring them in." The Cyber Leader turned to adjust a set of controls as the party of mammals were forced at gunpoint into the room; a guard blocked the doorway as the Cyber Lieutenant gestured for them to move forward. As they did, the Leader finally swung around to address them, steel face set into a permanent blank look. "So, Doctor. You have returned."

"Yes, it would seem so." The lion replied curtly, picking out the black handles attached to the head which denoted the creauture's seniority. "Forgive me if I don't appear overly thrilled."

"Too many mammals have died because of you!" Anger burned in his eyes as he advanced towards the Cyber Leader; he gestured to the three alcoves against the wall, filled with partially-converted Cybermammals. "This grotesque aberration has been perpetuated because of you." The Time Lord's eyes contained a wild alien fury; Judy felt like she could sense it around him, the feeling causing the bunny to insticinvely step back. For the first time, she knew what he could be capable of. "And it's got to stop!"

The Leader didn't even flinch. "You have no power to stop us." The silver giant replied, steel face impassive. "The battle you saw was a mere demonstration of our strength. A far greater spectacle is yet to come. One that will eliminate any remaining survivors."

"Something to do with those signals I assume?" Asked the Doctor; he stepped forward, lapels clutched accusingly.

"What are these signals?" Asked the metal creature in an almost disinterested way, seemingly unaffected by the Time Lord's question.

"You were the ones who sent out those spacial signals, and don't try to deny it! Seeing as they were seemingly emanating from the city of Zootopia, I locked onto the source: this planet!" He stood in triumph, paws on hips. "I knew from the start they were far too advanced for such a primitive mammalian civilisation!"

"Primitive?" Gasped both Nick and Judy, simultaneously glancing at each other in shock.

"We know nothing of these signals of which you speak," the Cyber Leader replied blankly, "they are not our concern."

The Doctor seemed puzzled. "Hmm, quite a fascinating admission from your Cyber-brain. I wonder..." _Suppose it was worth a try._

"Enough," said the Leader "take them out and put them in confinement." The mammals were bundled out of the room; all except Nick, who remained stock still.

"Nick," the doe whispered, "what're you doing?"

The fox turned to face her, emerald eyes cast downwards as if in mourning. "I...I can't." He replied, eyes cast downward in... _shame?_. The bunny froze, floored by his response.

"W-What? Nick, come on!" Her mind was racing at a thousand miles an hour, not even sure what she was hearing. The fox quickly silenced her:

"No, Judy. I think it's time I chose for myself. I want to join the Cybermammals."

* * *

 **A/N: I really do need to start updating this a bit faster...**

 **Feedback much appreciated!**


	6. Part Six

"No, Judy. I think it's time I chose for myself. I want to join the Cybermammals."

Judy stood there, stunned into silence. "Nick, w-what are you-"

"Don't you see Judy? The mammals that treated me like dirt. They didn't wanna know me. They wanted me thrown off the streets. I can get one back at them!"

Her stomach churned. She genuinely felt like collapsing right there and then. "Nick, what's wrong with you? Why can't you understand?"

"Understand what? It's a batter way of living!

"Nick, how could you?" Her mind was faltering between furious anger and complete despair. "A-after everything-"

"I'm sorry Judy. But if you're not going along with this then it's you or them." He crossed his arms firmly, his gaze narrowing. The doe was in total shock.

 _Was this really happening?_

"A wise decision, fox." The Cyber Leader added, with a hint of... _pride?_ He motioned to Judy and the Doctor. "Place the others in confinement."

The Doctor, for once, had stayed surprisingly quiet. He now glared defiantly at the Cyber Leader. "You won't win. You never do."

"Empty words, Doctor." The creature replied. "Remove them." Two Cybermammals gripped onto the Doctor and Judy. As the doe was dragged out of the room, she turned back to steal a glance at Nick. What had he done. The todd caught her eye, returning a glance.

She saw Nick give a fast wink. The faint trace of a smile crept across his face. The doe's eyes widened, and she barely stifled a gasp.

 _That sly fox._

* * *

They were bundled roughly into the cramped holding cell. Bare steel walls, an uncomfortably cold temperature and no furniture in sight.

As soon as the door had slid shut, Peri leapt to her feet, rushing to her friend. "You're safe!" She exclaimed, clutching the Time Lord in relief.

"As are you it seems..." He replied with a smile.

"Doctor, did you-"

"Ssh!" The Doctor hushed the bunny before she could say anything else. He edged around the room, brushing against the bare walls with his paws. "No surveillance it seems." He finally turned back to the rabbit. "Don't worry Judy, I saw." He sighed in resignation. "Well, I do hope your Officer Wilde knows what he's doing."

"Yeah. Nick's good on the hustle." She said. And hoped.

"We should try and fight back, give 'em everything we've got!" Iceac bellowed, finally making himself heard.

The Doctor turned to face the bear, a look of ridicule on his face. "Ah, what a splendid idea! The very model of a modern Major-General! With what do you suggest?" He gestured around the bare confines of the room, as if to illustrate his point. Iceac hung his head in defeat, retreating into silence once again. "Now," the Time Lord continued, "I believe our best course of action would be to stay put for the time being." He swung back round to stare at Judy, tail swishing to and fro. "It seems we must pin all our hopes on the _fantastic Mister Fox_. If he's still himself."

"W-what do you mean by that?" Asked Judy nervously; she'd never been more worried for her partner than now.

The Time Lord seemed grim. "The Cybermammals aren't the most reliable of friends. They may simply," he scratched anxiously at the back of his head " _convert_ Nick into one of them before he has a chance to get away."

"One of them?" Judy mumbled, a cold shiver running through her fur. "You mean...a Cybermammal?"

The lion was silent.

* * *

Nick stood in the control centre, still slightly uneasy. He'd breathed a sigh of relief when his bluff actually worked; he'd half expected to turn his back and be cut down on the spot. _Still, you take what you can get_. The whole place was cold and sterile, with only the subtle humming of machinery and computers. The ZPD was always full of a constant warmth and chatter: officers joking amongst themselves during roll call, Clawhauser obsessing over Gazelle's latest single, or kits staring in wide-eyed amazement during a school trip. Here, there was an eerie, deathly quiet: Cybermammals moved without a sound from one place to the next, in a horrid parody of a workplace. It was so different. So... _alien_. He genuinely wondered if he would ever get out of here. _Welp_ , he thought, _could do with some of Judy's optimism right about here_. It had almost broken his heart to see the flash of desperate fear across her amethyst eyes as he apparently betrayed her. Unpleasant thoughts of that dreaded press conference came bubbling to the surface of his mind. That was the last time he'd seen that awful look in her eyes. He just hoped she'd forgive him, if - no, _when_ \- this ruse paid off.

"All is prepared for the final action leader." The brusque, mechanical statement from the Cyber Lieutenant sliced through his thoughts.

"Excellent. This war will soon be brought to a close."

"And the prisoners, Leader?"

"Now the final action is in place there is no further use for them. They are to be taken for Cyber Conversion. Begin with the Doctor's travelling companion."

"Yes, Leader."

Nick frowned. Cyber Conversion? He glanced at the three figures, wired into alcoves in the wall, partway through the process. Their identities being removed, bodies blended with plastic and steel. He winced. It was _horrible_.

"Retrieve her from the cell. Take the fox with you for assistance."

Nick tried to keep his cool. He was used to putting on an air of detachment, but was finding it increasingly difficult to fake. It had never been like this before. He only hoped that this would work. His eyes darted to the sleek, imposing guns the creatures carried. _Might as well give it a shot._

"Say, aren't I getting one of your big fancy space guns as well?" He gave a slight nod to the Lieutenant's weapon, clutched tightly by the cyborg. "I mean, if I'm gonna help guard your prisoners it'll be a big help."

A cold, tense silence. The Cyber Leader remained motionless, blank features trained on the tod. Finally, he relented. "Very well. Accompany him." Nick breathed a small sigh of relief. Phew. "Yep, right behind ya!"

* * *

"Can't we get the door open somehow?" Peri asked. The gazelle had taken to pacing around the small cell, frustrated by the enclosed space.

"If I could, don't you think I would have tried already?" The Doctor retorted, voice rising in irritation. _Sometimes, she really does try my patience._

"Sorry! I only asked a simple question!"

"Indeed you did, it was the _wrong_ question!"

"Now come on guys, there's no point getting into an argument about it! It's not going to change anything." She'd noticed their regular pattern of sniping by now, but decided to step in and be the diplomatic one. The doe had dealt with enough witnesses to develop a reassuring manner. It was something, anything to make her feel less powerless; she'd never been in a situation like this before.

"Yes, you're quite right of course. However there is little concrete to be done. If only I still had my Sonic Screwdriver..."

"Your what?" Asked the General incredulously; being stuck in a cell was one thing, but being stuck with a lunatic who looked like an explosion in a rainbow factory spouting gibberish was another entirely.

The cell door slid open seamlessly, obviously operated automatically. The looming figure of a Cybermammal filled almost the entire doorway. "Room service?" Asked Judy, slightly nervous.

"If you like," replied the Doctor, stepping forwards to glare at the creature, "though I don't much like the look of what's on offer. What would you say, a quick course of Cyber-conversion followed by mass slaughter? How very appetising!"

"Silence!"

"Oh! Seem to have touched a nerve! Or, at least, the closest you can get to one."

"Enough! You are to be taken for conversion," the cybernetic giant announced in its horrid, methodical voice, "beginning with that one." It concluded, gesturing towards Peri with its gun.

"W-wait, no!" Peri shrieked in shock, shuffling away in sudden horror.

"Stop!" Yelled the Doctor; he rushed forwards towards the Cybermammal, only to be bent double in pain from a sharp blow to the stomach with the creature's gun. It continued its advance towards the petrified gazelle; Judy and Black leapt forward, almost daring the silver giant to face them. It levelled its weapon, clearly holding the advantage. The cyborg swung towards Judy. A burst of sparks flew across the cell; the creature pitched forwards, falling limply to the ground. Everyone turned in shock, clueless as to what had happened.

Standing in the doorway, gun in paws, was Nick.

Judy was the first to move, striding towards her partner. The fox's lips curled upwards into a smile, a familiar phrase forming, words working their way slowly into his mouth.

"Nick," Judy preempted, sensing exactly what was coming, "if you even dare say it, I swear to God..."

"It's called a hustle sw-"

The slap really shouldn't have surprised him, but in the heat of the moment and recoiling from the pain, Nick couldn't help but yelp in shock. Nursing his muzzle with his left paw, he turned slowly to face a furious bunny; the others stood, frozen by the sudden outburst. "Okay, guess that was partly on me. I'm sorry, but it was the only thing I could think of. I-"

"Don't." Judy cut across Nick once again; this time it wasn't with a slap, but a hug. A tight, emotional hug which neither really wanted to let go of. For that one moment, all the horrors and worries around them melted away. It was just the two of them. It was surreal, almost... _dreamlike_.

"If we could save the prevarications for a less precipitous moment!"

 _Well. There goes that moment then._

"Maybe we should use Zoogle Translate?" Quipped Nick, swiftly trying to mask his disappointment at being brought back to reality. The high he was floating on had been swiftly deflated.

"Oh shush!" Judy chided playfully. The bunny slaply drew herself away from her partner, buzzing from the electric sensations she'd experienced. _Must have been the adrenaline._

The Doctor poked his head back around the doorway. "How did you get here?"

"Well, me and Sibuna got across a rope bridge. He...didn't make it." The Todd looked to Black and Iceac in sympathy. The two mammals bowed their heads in respect.

The Doctor nodded. "A rope bridge you say?"

"Doctor!" Black huffed impatiently.

"Forgive me Captain, but it is important," he turned back to Nick "and this rope bridge just so happened to be positioned right in your path, allowing for a convenient way forward?"

"Yeah, somehow. Sibuna said it wasn't one of theirs. Coulda been the Cybermammals."

"Mm, I wonder..."

"Well, are we going?" Came Iceac's question. The Doctor shrugged.

"Very well, we'll have to make our way across to Cyber Control. Nick, while you were there did they give you any idea of their plan, anything at all?"

The fox shrugged. "They mentioned something about a...final action? That's all I got."

"Any ideas?"

The Time Lord shook his head. "No. Not yet, anyway. Which is why we need to get to Cyber Control and find out what they're up to."

"Well," said Black, pointing at the weapon he now held under his arm, "at least we got something to fight them with."

"Actually," the Doctor replied hurriedly "I'd rather that wasn't necessary. We don't need another bloodbath on our paws."

"Fine. If you say so. But I'll take it anyway if it's all the same to you.

"Now, let's make a start."

* * *

 **A/N: Should The Doctor be called The Vet? Personally, I don't think so. After all, "Doctor" isn't just a medical title... ;-)**


	7. Part Seven

They made their way along the gantry, single file, pressed as close to the wall as they could.

The bunny's ears turned in the direction of the noise. She peered cautiously over the guardrail; she caught a glimpse of a Cybermammal below, patrolling the gantry like a well-oiled machine. Her nose twitched in thought. She had an idea. "I got this!"

"Carrots, wait!"

"Trust me Nick!" She claimed herself, and gave a sincere nod. "I got this."

"Judy..." Nick hesitated for a moment; he tentatively reached out an arm, placing his paw gently against the bunny's shoulder. "Be careful." She nodded.

 _Well, if it worked once it can work again_. "Hey!" She called out: the creature spun around, searching for the source of the noise. It looked up, just in time to see Judy slide down the pole; letting go of the metal with her paws, her powerful legs crashing into the chest of the creature. The solid impact rocked the bunny backwards: she crashed onto the steel gantry, wincing in pain. Looking up in terror, she saw the Cybermammal advancing towards her. A horrid feeling welled up in the pit of her stomach. Her nose twitched in fear. No amount of police training could have possibly prepared her for this. A crackle of energy and a burst of sparks shot from the creature's chest; it staggered towards the direction of the beam. Nick fired again, blue halo of energy rippling out from the muzzle of the gun. The creature fell to the ground. "Close call Carrots. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Never thought I'd use all that Academy training for this."

"Which way?"

"Onwards and upwards!"

* * *

A rickety ladder lead them up to the next level. One by one they climbed it, rigging sighing under their weight; the stocky rhino slipped on a rung, dangling perilously, the whole structure shuddering alarmingly. To their relief, he steadied himself. "My bad." They continued. The ladder emerged onto a platform, overlooking a vast drop which stretched downwards for what seemed like miles, an empty black void the only sight to be seen. Nick stared into the abyss. He winced, remembering Sibuna's sacrifice still raw in his mind. "Welp, definitely avoiding that," he remarked, trying to put it out of his thoughts, and certainly not letting them show.

"And how do we get in there?"

"Same way we brought them to us."

"What?"

"Don't you remember? The distress signal behind the faceplate!" He tapped at his muzzle to emphasise his point. "We can get them all out here!"

"Whaddya think?"

The Doctor nodded in approval. "It's worth a try I suppose. When it heads in this direction we'll try and get ahold of it."

Judy winked at her partner "Clever fox."

"Oh, I do try Carrots." He smirked in response.

"Don't be too smug. It has to work first."

The creature strolled along the gantry. Methodically, Judy could (and probably should) have added. But then, it probably knew nothing else. Black, being the soldier, lined up the gun with the space in which it was to step. Ever closer it came, unrelenting.

"Well?"

"It's a tough one."

Nick sighed. _Some soldier_. "Is this really in our line of duty?" He wondered aloud. "I mean, fighting alien monsters wasn't really in the job description."

"Well, we're meant to serve and protect," Judy reminded him, "so I guess it is now!" Her ears pricked suddenly, now aware of the Cybermammal approaching its mark. Nick gestured quickly with his paws, and the bunny ducked for cover. Almost without hesitation, Nick lunged at the advancing creature, trying to get his paws around its frame. It held him in a vice-like grip, twisting his arm back in towards him.

"Come on!" General Iceac roared to Black, "Take the damn shot!"

"I can't get a clear shot!" His comrade replied. "I'm gonna hit 'im!"

Judy leapt out of her cover. "Hey, over here!" It spun around, momentarily distracted. The bunny came face to face with the creature, staring straight into its haunting, soulless eyes.

The tod took his chance. He sank his claws into its arm. Rancid green fluid came spouting out, and the creature's arm flailed outwards. He dropped to the floor instinctively. "Now, do it now!" He bellowed.

Black caught the Cybermammal, and it toppled forward.

"Should be simple enough?"

"Simple? You call all that simple?"

"Well, relatively speaking." With one heave he praised the faceplate off the creature, revealing a mass of tangled wires holding a skeletal frame. The lion grimaced. "Not the most pleasant sight I'll admit." He fumbled around inside the head with his paws, feeling for the switch. The more Judy thought about it, the more morbid it seemed. However, desperate times called for desperate measures. With a sharp click it sprang to life; the light blinked on and off rapidly, a familiar shrill clicking sound emanating from within. Except this time, they hoped it would have a different result. "There, that should do it," exclaimed the Time Lord triumphantly, "they should be here soon enough!"

"And when they get here?"

"You won't have to wait for that, look out!"

They crouched behind the steel beam on the other side of the door, waiting with baited breath for the creatures to emerge. They did, almost silently, striding towards the signal they'd set off. With a silent gesture, they rushed single-file into the control room. Guns poised in anticipation, they were confronted with an empty room; empty, that was, apart from the half-converted Cybermammals lining the wall. "Deactivated. Dormant. Domicile."

"If you've quite finished running through the thesaurus!"

The Time Lord shrugged. "Domineering," he muttered under his breath. "Now, to work." The lion peered quizzically at the control panel set into the wall beside the door; he ripped off the panel, then fished around inside, grabbing a clump of wires in his paw. With one sharp motion he tore them out; a crackle of electricity fizzing away as the he took a few steps back to admire his work. "There, that should keep them busy." He looked down at the bundle of wires in his paws. "Then again, something as mundane as a locked door may not be an obstacle for very long."

Peri took in the room properly, looking any clue she could. The gazelle's eyes were drawn to a walkway which ran along the wall, a wall plastered in dials and switches.

"It's all linked to something. If only I knew what it was."

"Could it be the signals we picked up in the TARDIS?"

"No no, this equipment doesn't have the capability."

"Well," Nick ventured, casting a nervous green eye towards the door, a thin sheet of metal which separated them from hordes of marauding cyborgs. "I'd say we don't have much time to figure it out."

"The door is jammed, leader." The Cyber Lieutenant stated matter-of-factly.

"Evidently so. This must be the Doctor and his compatriots." He turned to the other Cybermammal. "Bring the cutting equipment."

"At once leader." Having given the order, the Cyber Leader turned to his Lieutenant.

"Activate the converts."


End file.
